Just Like Daddy
by Majin Videl
Summary: When Goten is perceived as Gohan's son, how will it affect his relationship with Videl? Gohan/Videl
1. The Rumor Mill

**Just Like Daddy**

Town was quiet today, not many people were milling about. For a Saturday, this could be a good thing, but Gohan wasn't so sure. He got sent on a mission to take his brother shopping for new clothes, since all of his were too short now. Normally Chichi would use Gohan's hand-me-downs, but Goten was getting taller faster than Gohan did. She requested that they try to make him look normal, but that could mean any number of different things. "Normal", was a relative term, and all of his relatives lacked in that department.

Goten was reaching the ripe old age of four, now having lived four years without his father. During that time, Gohan had stepped in as the male role in the house, since Chichi wanted to keep her status as home maker. This merely meant that Gohan took on more chores, and often would have to help with things he normally wouldn't; such as doing the dishes. He didn't mind helping to raise Goten, he needed some kind of male influence, and they'd rather it be him than Yamcha or Krillen, or worse, Vegeta.

"Goten," he asked to the little boy scampering beside him. Goten was holding his brother's hand, looking around at all the bright lights. "You've never been to Satan City, have you?"(For all intents and purposes, we're going to say Goten is 4 and Gohan is 18)

"No. Momma always said I had to stay here. We go to West City to visit Trunks though." He was very well articulated, mostly because of Gohan teaching him how to speak. Chichi contributed curse words, and a few of the other words he knew that sounded like curses, but the rest was his brother's doings. "Where are we going?"

"I want to stop into this shop real quick, they're hiring and I need work." As he stepped into the shop he noticed a girl standing there. She had brown eyes and bright red hair, which should have told him to go back. "Angela?" He looked down at his brother, making sure he still had his hand as he approached the girl.

"Gohan?" Angela asked standing on her toes to see Goten hiding behind Gohan. _I wonder if I can blackmail him into another date…_ "What brings you here?"

"I saw that you were hiring, could I get an application?" He leaned on the counter, watching his brother as he drooled over some cakes in the display case. He didn't have to turn around; he knew what Goten was doing. "They're wax, Goten."

"What's wax?" Goten asked, joining ranks by his brother's side again.

"It's this really gross substance they use to trick us into thinking its food but it isn't." Gohan smiled softly at Angela, taking the paper from her. "Thank you, Angela. I'll have it back by tomorrow…do you work here?"

"My dad owns the place. We try not to let many people know that. Hurry and get back, Gohan! Bring your little cutie with you next time, too!" Angela muttered excitedly.

"I'll be back," Gohan nodded as he took Goten's hand, leading him out of the building. "That was rather interesting – I always thought Angela hated me. Oh well, wanna go to the Kaki Barn?"

"Momma would be mad if I didn't have clothes." Goten observed, pointing to some models in the window. "Like those."

"Those are too expensive for us, and you'd just ruin them the next day. Let's find something a little cheaper…within our budget." Gohan smiled to Goten and tugged him into the store, smiling a bit more when his little eyes lit up with wonder. The endless possibilities of the clothing store…a danger that could take Trunks and Goten twenty minutes to destroy. "I promise I won't dress you like a nerd."

"You don't look like a nerd!" Gohan's eyes lit up when he heard his brother's words, wondering if he meant it. Then, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "You look like a dork."

"They're the same thing, Goten." Looking through the racks of jackets, Gohan sighed when he didn't see anything his mother would approve of.

"Nuh-uh, Trunks says they mean two totally different things. He says one of them is a really, really smart person, and the other is a dumb person."

"Do you believe everything Trunks says, or just the stupid things?" Gohan hadn't realized he said it until he heard a snicker behind him. When he turned around, he noticed Bulma standing there with a smirk. "Oh, hey Bulma."

"Gohan, what was that you were saying about Trunks?"

"Nothing, I just get a little irritated with him quoting him. Goten has no idea what Trunks says half the time, but he follows him like a lost puppy. It's not a good sign—where is Trunks?" Gohan looked skeptical for a moment, wondering why Bulma would be here without the little whelp.

"He started school today, so he's not with me. But he wanted me to try and get him some more clothes…his aren't 'up to date', he says. Six years old and he's already deciding what's good looking and what isn't. Gohan, you look stressed." Bulma laid a hand on his shoulder, carefully making sure that Goten was still within eyes sight.

"I feel bad for mom. Goten's never met dad, he has no idea what he's like. Goten has it in his head that I'm like dad, that I'm 'daddy', but I tried to explain to him that I'm not. I mean, sure, I took over dad's responsibilities – with the exception of mom – but that doesn't make me dad. He's a hero…I'm a kid." Gohan sighed and picked up a shirt, handing it to Goten. "Go try that on, and show me how it looks."

"Gohan, he doesn't know any better. Let him have it for now, correct him later. And you're not a kid anymore, you're nineteen, remember?" Bulma smiled matter-of-factly, and held up a finger to shush him before he could protest. "And you _did _kill Cell."

"I guess so, but you can't announce those things, Bulma. People think that _Hurcule _killed Cell, and I had to lie on my birth certificate in order to get into school. Please don't say anything."

"I already knew, your mother told me. Satan City…Pah. That man is a con artist if you ask me." Bulma peeked up to notice Gohan was watching someone off in the distance. "Who's that?"

"Videl. I go to school with her. She's Hurcule's daughter – as far as I know – the only one he has. Bulma that girl scares me more than mom does." Gohan replied, turning to look at Goten when he came out of the dressing room. Goten stood tall, proud, showing off his newly acquired shirt. It was that instant that Gohan realized that Goten was exactly like his father.

* * *

Videl peered over a clothing rack to observe Gohan and the little boy. They looked identical, but there was no possible way that the woman was related. She leaned in to get a closer look, recognizing the woman instantly as Bulma, the woman who owned half of West City. Bulma was a newsmaker; it was hard not to see her in the tabloids. Always with some new invention or some scandalous romp with her husband – who has yet to be seen in public.

"What are you doing with them, Gohan?" She heard him say he was proud of Goten, and raised a brow. But when Bulma said _just like daddy_, she knew without reason of a doubt that Gohan was not who he said he was. He had a _kid_!

* * *

"_But what is it's purpose_?" echoed the TV. Gohan and Goten were watching a movie while Chichi made dinner. She was smiling when she asw them in the living room, with Goten laying against his brother's shoulder. It was an odd position, but no one else would know what they do. Gohan was proud of his brother, and treated him as his own son, but Chichi knew when the time came, that he'd relinquish his duties to Goku.

"_The purpose of the convoy is to keep moving._" Came the response of the rather snarky character in the movie, _Rubber Duck_. Gohan loved this movie, but Goten had lost interest and fell asleep. It didn't shock him in the slightest. Looking up shocked, Gohan blinked, finally realizing something.

"That voice I heard at the store…was…Videl?"

* * *

**It doesn't **sound as bad as it looks, basically, Gohan is perceived to have a son, mostly because no one has ever seen Goten's father. So Videl goes on this wild hunt to figure out who the mother is. And the movie in the last part is _Convoy_, a completely hilarious movie.


	2. This is Amiss

AN: Thank you Kiba Wolf. Your review made my day.

**Just Like Daddy**

_This is Amiss_

"Make sure you have all your books ready, Gohan. I'd rather you aren't late today." Chichi murmured from over the stove where she scrambled some eggs for the youngest Son. Goten sat intently at the kitchen table, fork in hand, sniffing at the air while his mother made the eggs. The bacon was done already, but he wasn't allowed to eat it until everything was done and everyone was at the table. _Everyone. _Goku wasn't home; he wouldn't be at the table. Come to think of it, Goten had never met his father, so to him the only thing he really had was Gohan.

Gohan stepped into the room with his usual orange star uniform on, the crest at the top of his shirt. His green eyes observed the room for a moment before landing on his mother, hunched over the stove. Without second thought, he grabbed some dishes from the cupboard and set them out on the table. "Want some milk, Goten?" Goten frantically nodded, signaling to Gohan that he did. After the milk was poured in all three glasses, Chichi set the rest of breakfast on the table.

"Brush your hair; I don't want you looking like an alien today." Chichi demanded, shanking some eggs with her fork.

"But mom…I am an alien." Gohan murmured quietly, stabbing at his own food. He wasn't in a great mood that morning; Goten had woken him up by jumping repeatedly on his feet. He didn't mind his brother, he minded getting up earlier than necessary. And yet, he couldn't explain why, he loved having Goten around him.

"Can I come to school with you today?" Goten asked, practically hovering out of his chair. Gohan was positive he was hovering. "Please? I won't get in trouble! You won't even notice I'm there!"

"Goten, not today. I would get in a lot of trouble, and you wouldn't understand what we're learning anyway." Gohan didn't mean to put him down, but sometimes the older brother in him had the final say in situations like this. "Besides, I have a hunch that you wouldn't like it."

"Why?" Chichi demanded, glaring at her oldest son. "Is it because he's too young to go to high school?"

"Aww mom, come on. You already got one scholar." That comment earned him the darkest glare he'd ever seen. "But I suppose there's nothing wrong with having two."

"You started studying when you were his age, so why can't he?" This argument was a loss; he couldn't help but try to win anyway.

"Because," Gohan whispered. "I don't want them to know what we really are. If they see Goten, they'll know. We're almost identical. Mom, where's Dad?"

"H-he's on business," Chichi faltered with her lie, Goten picked up on it right away. "Out West."

"Where is daddy?" Goten inquired softly, unaware of how it hurt Chichi when he asked. "Will he come home soon?"

"Goten," Gohan began, gathering up the dishes. He remained strong where Chichi couldn't. "He wants to come home, I promise you that. He wants to meet you in the worst way possible, but he can't. He has other obligations."

"Mom says family comes first." The little boy raised his voice slightly, but Gohan's stayed the same even tone.

"Family always comes first; except when you're saving the world. Then it's everyone else before you." He could almost feel Chichi's glare from under her hands. "But let's hope it never comes to that, ok kiddo?"

"Saving the world?" Little green eyes gazed up at the oldest Son, but they didn't get an immediate response.

"Like in Trunks' video games; you know how they say 'never leave a fallen comrade'?" The littlest one nodded, signaling him to continue. "That's what I mean. If someone gets hurt, you take care of them first. I have to get to school, want to walk with me?"

"Can I?" Chichi nodded slowly, knowing Gohan would take good care of him. Goten hopped up instantly, smiling at his mother as he ran down the hall to grab his jacket. "Thanks mom!"

* * *

"So what's dad like?" Little hands were clamped tightly in his older brother's, sitting in front of him on Nimbus. Gohan's back went rigid as he heard Goten's words. He'd never expected him to ask, but now he was stuck. "Was he nice? Did he love mommy?"

"He loved mom a great deal; more than we'll ever know. Things between them were perfect but dad got into a big fight with someone. You know how men are with their ego—"

"What's an ego? Is that a waffle?" Goten asked, peering up at his brother.

"It's when you get-yeah, it's a waffle." Gohan answered, continuing his story. "This fight was a big, bad, terrible fight. No one really expected a winner – so dad decided he was going to solve the problem and move far away. Well, the man he was fighting with, he went with him, so dad figured it was best. This way, he wouldn't have to see us get hurt by his fighting."

"Why was he fighting? I thought he was a businessman? Didn't he think it would hurt to see him go far away? What did mommy say?" Gohan couldn't help it, even with years of training, his brother's words were too much for him to handle.

"He was fighting because he wanted to protect us. The man threatened to kill mom, and dad loved her so much that he wouldn't let it happen. And he knew it would hurt us, but he also knew that there were other things that needed to be done. Mom was devastated by his decision, but she knew she would always have me, and later on she found out about you…so in the end, she always had her little piece of Go-dad."

"What was his name?"

Gohan wasn't sure if he wanted to answer that or not. He paused, thinking about what he would say. If he said the actual name, he would know who it was; he had been on the news multiple times. "Another time, ok kiddo?"

"Trunks says daddy fought all the time. He said he could never take down Vegeta."

Gohan scoffed slightly, imagining the Saiyan prince talking highly of his own father; the same one who died multiple times in the years. But he couldn't say he was all bad – Vegeta, though he did try to kill Goku – did turn to the good side. "I guess you could say that; Vegeta never made the ultimate sacrifice because he knew it would save people."

"Ultimate sacrifice?"

"Yeah, he never left his whole family behind to save the world. But he's not a bad person, so we won't talk bad about him." Lost in his thoughts, Gohan barely heard his brother shouting excitedly. "What?"

"We're here!" Nimbus had stopped, hovered over the building, and then dropped slightly so the oldest child could dive off. "How do you get down there?"

So much for Goten's normal life; ruffling his brother's hair, he hopped off the side and glided to the roof of the building. "I'll see you back home. Nimbus knows what to do."

* * *

"Nimbus, huh?" Videl stared at Gohan through the doorway of the steps. This whole situation was getting weirder and weirder. "What else are you hiding from me?"

"Oh, hey, Videl!" Gohan barely noticed her in the hallway, he didn't even hear what she'd said, but he knew she was scheming again. Plastering a smile on his face, he walked slowly passed her.

"Stop right there." She stepped up to him, standing toe to toe with him. "I know your secret."

"My…my secret? Umm…what secret?" Gohan stammered over his words, but he wasn't sure if he was lost in her eyes, or her own words. "I don't have any secrets, Videl."

"You're also a terrible liar." She paced around him, studying his features intently. He was hiding something; she could tell by the way he was acting. If there was one thing she hated the most, it was when she didn't knowing what was happening in the school. He had a son, he could fly, and he could – quite possibly – be the golden haired fighter. The last one seemed more unlikely than the second. "Gohan, where did you transfer from…the school had a name, didn't it?"

"I was home schooled." He blinked, peering over her shoulder as she walked beside him. He could never explain why, but he liked her. She stood up to him, she fought back, and she wasn't afraid to tell him what she thought. But he also felt there was no way they could ever be together. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." That had checked out at least; but some things about him were still confusing to her. Why did he look so familiar? She had seen that same face before, and she couldn't place why. The name itself was familiar to her, and yet she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why. "I noticed you're always walking around town late at night."

"I work in town…doing odd jobs. Did I do something wrong? Am I in your territory or something?" He leaned against a locker, letting her pace in front of him again. She was cute, tapping her finger on her lips as she paced. "Videl, we're going to be late for class."

"_I _have an excuse, what's yours?"

"My car broke down." Gohan answered without thought. It would have been believable…if he had a car. And everyone in school knew he didn't drive. "I didn't think that through very well. Look, Videl, I just want to go to class. I have things I need to take care of at home."

_Take care of._ That confirmed her suspicion about Goten, but now to find out who the mother was. Who was that blue haired woman? There was no way she could be the mother…but then again, black is a dominant color, so it would have overhauled the blue. As for the green eyes, that was a little trickier to explain. But the boy looked nothing like her, so it couldn't be possible. And he was too old to be Angela's kid. "Who's the mother?" Videl blurted out without thinking.

"Son Chichi." Gohan answered, thinking she was talking about his mother. He'd never actually thought about it before, but he had never told this woman who his mother was. "Why?"

"No reasons…thank you for answering." _Son Chichi_…had she taken on his name so it would be less embarrassing to have the child out of wedlock…or was he really married? This would be an impossible theory to find out unless she followed him some more. His parents were away on business, so as far as she knew, it was just him and the boy…possibly the mother. But now the theory seemed so much more real to her. "You should get to class; you're going to be late."

* * *

"Gohan!" Angela shouted from the back of the class. Even though he'd left Angela, the girl seemed to have it in her head that they were still a couple. It didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that she had spread it around the school they were together. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing between them. "Sit with me, snookers!"

Without rhyme or reason, Gohan turned into the second row and took a seat beside Erasa instead. He had absolutely no reason to sit with Angela. Now, of course, she was going to spread more rumors about him – its what she did. "Hey Erasa, did you get the notes from yesterday?"

"Oh yes, Videl lent them to me, thank you. Did you hear that a boy in our class has a son? It's almost unreal! And the boy is about four, so he must have had him in primary school!" Erasa knew there was no way it was him, but something inside her wanted to confirm what Videl had said. "Can you believe it? A kid!"

"It's not uncommon…not as long as people like Angela are around." Sharpener announced from the other side of Erasa. Apparently everyone had heard of Angela's little stunt with Gohan, and more than a few students were appalled. The other half was offended. "There's something not quite right about that girl, if you ask me."

"Where is Videl?" Erasa asked Sharpener, not really receiving an answer. "I guess she's out fighting crime again. Satan city never sleeps…kind of like Gotham."

"She's not Batman, and as far as I know, she's never worn a cape; unless she's Cat-Woman. Me-yow." Sharpener murmured, waiting for Erasa to bash him on the head again.

"I just saw her in the hallway," Gohan answered. Before he could say another word, she stepped into the classroom. Instantly his eyes met with her sky-blue ones and he followed her gaze to the back row of the classroom. Angela. "Um, why is she talking to Angela?"

"Probably warning her to back off of you-" Sharpener felt a sharp jab in his ribs, most likely from Erasa. "You know, that kid that has kids."

"I see." Gohan resigned himself to his books, deciding it was none of his business. But if the girl he loved and the girl he loathed were getting along, surely a new threat would be born. And he was positive he wouldn't be able to handle this threat. "Sharpener, Erasa…I have to tell you something. But I don't want you to tell Videl."

Both of them were eager to hear his words, eyes dancing with anticipation. He was going to confirm their theory; all it would take was one word from him. What he said, however, was not what they wanted to hear.

"I didn't really like Angela. She was rude and nasty, and all she wanted was for me to give up everything to be with her. What kind of woman does that?"

"The kind who's after your money?" Sharpener asked, wondering how in the hell that even came up.

"Money? I don't even have a job." Gohan answered, peering curiously at Videl again. "I wonder…if I was the student that had a kid, would she be this interested in me."

"Trust me," Sharpener answered. "She'd be fawning all over you. Videl loves kids…you should see how she is with them. I bet she would love yours."

"Probably." Gohan sighed and stared at his books. Too bad he didn't have a kid. That would make her fall in love with him for sure. So what if he didn't have a kid? He had the next best thing!

* * *

Short chapters FTW! Updates won't be as often as I hoped. I'm getting backlogged with a lot of things. _Soldier's Creed_ is on hiatus until further notice, so don't get upset when I don't update it. I ran out of ideas -_-. This one is a little sketchy as well, mostly because I didn't pre-plan it before I posted chapter one. So I have to work out a plan before it gets all over the place like SC did. Anyway, read, review…do what you want. And when you review, I would love _love _**LOVE **a long review. I like having something to read. To the person who sent me the five paragraph email on SC, I love you. I really do. (That was NOT Sarcasm)


	3. Youth in Asia

AN: I just wanted to appologize for this taking so long. I've had a lot of family issues going on at the moment (my brother was in the hospital!) and my term paper is due next week, so I have a lot of things on my plate. I'll update again, don't worry! Also, I love reviews (the longer the better!). And Kiba Wolf...I love you. I just wanted to point out that I don't have MS word, so I did this on Open office, which doesn't correct grammar. After reading it over several times, I realized there were more than 100 comma splices that I'm just too lazy to fix. It's the content that counts!

Just Like Daddy

_Youth in Asia, the Clever Lie, and Flying Dogs, Oh my!_

Trying to get her attention was useless. There were over twenty men in the school vying for the affection of Videl Satan. How hopeless was he for even trying to talk to her? She was so popular, and he was nothing. The feelings were stronger now that he knew she was into family type men. So she had a thing for that student with a son; maybe he could pretend Goten was his son? No, that wouldn't work, how would he get Goten to call him daddy? The eldest teenager put his head in his hands and sighed. "It's going to be a long night."

"Pow! Aha, I got you!" Trunks sat on his haunches, leaning over the game controller with a smirk on his face. Most undoubtedly the famous smirk of his predecessor. There was no denial in Gohan's mind that this child was related to Bulma or Vegeta. He had the tactical know-how of Bulma, and the energy and combative skill of Vegeta. Video game or not, he had traits of both his parents.

Goten looked upset, staring over at the purple haired demi-saiyan. He had beaten him at Street Fighter again, and it was not looking to be a good day for him. He always won against his older brother! Then again, Gohan cheated by letting Goten win, though he wasn't aware of such a situation. To him, it was just tactical advantage. "No fair, you cheated!"

"Uh-uh! I don't cheat," Trunks announced proudly as he looked at the younger Son, sticking his tongue out at him. "I win, you lose. Get over it. It isn't the end of the world."

"But it could be! What if the game blew up and took out the whole earth? Then you would feel guilty because you didn't let me win my last game!" Goten shouted in his defense.

Gohan, whom had been quiet for most of the argument, finally felt the urge to look at the train-wreck of an argument. "The statistical probability of a game blowing up is unlikely...even worse is the statistical possibility of the game taking out the whole earth. That seems more like something that would happen to Bulma than to you." Gohan answered, defusing the argument with his monotone response.

"You look upset," Trunks added, staring over the eldest Son's shoulder. Gohan peered at him, taking a second to respond. "Let me guess, it's a girl."

"It's a report." Gohan responded, tapping his pencil on the paper as he leaned back on two legs. The chair might have cracked or broke, if he hadn't been hovering slightly. How could he write a report on something he didn't agree with? The stupid teacher said that since he felt so strongly on the topic, he had to write the opposite side of the argument. Creative writing was a droll, but essays were worse.

"On what?" Came Trunks' quiet question, leaning on the desk so he could stare at the two sentences on the paper.

"Euthanasia." The older Son responded casually, feeling he didn't need further explanation.

"What about them?" Trunks asked taking the paper off the desk and staring at it. He knew what most of the words were, but Gohan always wrote beyond him; college level for a high school class. "_Why using Euthanasia is a good thing. People have argued on the wrong side for decades that killing them is wrong but..._"

Goten's eyes went wide. "You want to kill us? What did Trunks and I do to you?"

Gohan paused, grabbing his paper from Trunks. What HAD he written? Reading the paper carefully, he sighed and stared over at his brother with sympathetic green eyes. "Not youth in Asia." The older brother answered. "E-u-t-h-a-n-a-s-i-a."

"Yeah, isn't that like little kids? We're in Asia...and we're youths..." Goten began to whimper.

"No...he means like killing animals and stuff." Trunks answered for Gohan, sparing him the long and boring details. The medical jargon and stuff lawyers say to calm down angry pet owners. "Like, say your dog got-"

"We don't have a dog."

Trunks face-palmed, then growled slightly at the younger boy's response. "Just _pretend_ you have a dog."

A shrill whistle emitted from Goten before he started snapping his fingers. "Come here Muffy! Come here, Muffy!"

"_What _are you doing?" Trunks hissed.

"Pretending I have a dog. Muffy is a good dog."

"We would not name our dog Muffy...we'd name him Thor or something masculine. No one names a dog Muffy...except Paris Milton." Gohan interjected monotonously. Seriously, his brother had to be kidding. No one names a dog Muffy.

"Moving right along...pretend that Muff-_Thor_ got really sick and couldn't walk anymore." Trunks continued to explain. "Now what are you doing?"

"He can fly! He doesn't have to walk anywhere if he can fly!" Goten made ridiculous hand motions, as if he were petting a dog in the air.

"Dogs can't fly!" Trunks growled, losing patience with Goten pretty quickly. Where did he get these crazy ideas? Was Chichi feeding him crazy chicken or something?

"In all fairness, you _did say _pretend." Gohan murmured quietly before he turned back to his assignment. Trunks spoke Goten's language, it was probably best that he let the younger Demister do his dirty work for him. He tuned out most of the conversation between the two boys when something occurred to him. Why didn't he use Goten as his son? If Videl was so keen on getting a boyfriend with a son, what was to keep him from pretending Goten was his? The only flaw he saw was his mother. Hiding her could be a problem. Goten was good at pretending, maybe he could pull it off. "Goten, do you like pretending?" Gohan asked, turning to the two boys in question. Goten nodded his head eagerly, his unruly ebony hair bouncing with each nod as if it were a child with a sugar rush. This could work out in his favor, if he could get Goten to go along with it.

"I don't care what you say," Trunks growled lowly. "That kid cannot pretend. He thinks dogs can fly! Dogs can't fly!"

"...unless they're genetically engineered to do so. Ask your mom about it, I'm sure she has something along the lines of a flying dog."

"My mom does not have a flying dog...and if she did, I'd probably have heard about it by now. She can't hid something that awesome from me. I leek pure awesome. I am not afraid of any-" Strangely, he never did finish his thought.

"TRUNKS VEGETA BRIEFS! YOUR MOTHER IS HERE TO PICK YOU UP!" Chichi shouted up the steps. The three boys flinched, but it was only visible when Trunks did it. Not scared of anything, huh? Well that could be played to his disadvantage. When Bulma's son had left, Gohan swiveled on his desk chair to face his brother. Ah, young nave little Goten, what would he do without him?

"Goten, let me ask you something." Gohan began, folding his hands in a pyramid, much like a diabolical tactician. "How would you feel about a game of _house_?"

"House? Like what kind of house? Full house, on the house...house salad...mm mm, salad." As the child began to drool, Gohan pondered the choices he had. He could either let Videl go, which wasn't likely, or he could convince his brother to help him out. It seemed more likely that he could get his brother's help before admitting he didn't like Videl.

"Like...house. With a mommy, daddy, and kids. Maybe a flying puppy or two?" Gohan asked, leaning forward slightly, his hands folded in his lap now. "What do you say? If you pretend to be my son, I'll give you all the salad you can eat. And I might consider throwing in the prototype for a flying dog."

Goten's eyes shot to his brother's for a moment. Had he just promised him a dog...a _flying _dog? This was almost too good to be true. "Are you trying to low-ball me?"

Gohan sat up straight, eying his brother. "Am I _what_? Where did you learn a term like that?"

"Trunks. He taught me a lot of words, like _damn, _and _hell_, and _monkey nuts._ I don't get that last one though. Back to the question, are you trying to _low ball_ me?" Goten was pretty bright, when he tried that is. The eldest Son was impressed.

"I guess I did underestimate you. What would you want to pretend to be my son?" Gohan asked, feeling the need to clarify his intentions. Of course, his intentions weren't true, nor did he have the foresight to tell his brother that. "I never got to play house as a kid, and I want to see what it's like. Plus, it would get you ready for when dad comes home from overseas."

"Dad's coming home?" He'd never seen his brother so happy, it was like Christmas without all the presents, lights, and weird smelling candles. How could he tell the child no?

"Yes, and you might want to know how to treat him for when he gets here. So what do you say?"

"I say..." Goten looked as if he were in extreme thought. A look he could not pull off well. It was like shoving a finger in a light socket...that analogy didn't fit, but who cares. The visual was funny! "I say no."

After all that time, he said _no_? Gohan nearly face planted into the ground. No? The kid had the nerve to say NO? "Why?" The older brother whined, hoping his brother would eventually give in.

"Because, I want to know whats in it for me. Do I get to meet the girl playing mommy?" Gohan shook his head no. "Will mommy play mommy?" Another no. "Well whose gonna play mommy?"

"A girl from school." Came the simple reply of the eldest.

"Then I say...sure."

* * *

"Hey, brother," Goten murmured from behind Gohan. The younger Son was preparing for bed, and he was well aware that Gohan hadn't done his homework for today. It probably wasn't something to worry about; maybe he just got lazy today. "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, I was just talking to myself." He knew how absurd that sounded, but if Goten believed him, that's all he needed. Goten lay down on his pillow and looked at his brother's reading lamp again. Maybe he was sick? "You okay, buddy?"

"Just tired, Trunks beat me good." He smiled brightly and watched as Gohan reached up to turn the light off. Tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all, at least if he kept thinking positively. "What did you do all day?"

"Homework." The terse reply was harsher than he realized, he almost scoffed saying it, but Goten didn't seem to notice. "I probably should have stayed in homeschooling. Mom gave less homework than these people do."

Goten nodded when the phone started ringing. Chichi didn't waste time, maybe it was Bulma for the nightly chat. It was a girl, but not the one she had expected. "Who are you looking for?" Chichi asked.

"Is Gohan there? I just need to ask him something." Videl noticed the harsh way that Chichi spoke; it must have been a wife thing. She would do the same thing if she were married to him and a random girl called. Chichi murmured an inaudible be right back, and then shouted for Gohan to answer the phone. The exchange took a few minutes at most, but Videl knew the woman had hung up when the click was heard. "Gohan?"

He nearly choked when he heard the voice. Why was she calling him? She was interested in that guy! "Hey Videl, what do you need?" Forcing himself to be patient, he awaited her answer. Nothing was more socially unacceptable on the phone than to act like friends when they weren't.

"Did you get the assignment for chapter 9? I missed it because of my...meeting." She could hear pages shuffling on a desk, followed by a thud and something shattering on the ground; uncoordinated as always, but still loveable in a geeky way. Who was in the background?

"I gotta go to bed," whined the young boy. "Momma wants me to go to Bulma's tomorrow."

Videl was positive of one thing; whoever he was married to was friends with one of the most famous inventors in West City, which meant he wasn't as dorky as she previously thought. She sighed when he took another twenty hours to answer her question. Finally his voice came over the line again, whispering softly in answer to her question. "Read pages 187-200." He paused, waiting for her response. "Oh, and answer the questions on 190."

"Alright," Videl scribbled down the answer, and then smiled a bit. It took her a moment to realize he wasn't there, but she didn't care. She wanted to smile. Even if it wasn't his son, she would fall for him. There was no doubt about that. "Thank you, Gohan. Tell your son I said goodnight."

"Oh, he's not my son, he's my brother." Was she always this easily confused? "But I'll tell him you said goodnight."

* * *

"Brother? He really told you it was his brother?" Erasa asked curiously, watching Videl fiddle with her books. The ebony haired girl was having a difficult time getting her books from her locker; mostly in part to the fact that there were things _other _than her books in her locker. Erasa sighed, motioning for Sharpener to come over. "Can you get her books out for her? We need a campfire session here."

"Campfire is for third graders, we call it _brainstorming_, Erasa. This is high school." Videl did have a point, but Erasa wasn't about to give into the cold ways of her best friend. It was time for lunch, and Erasa was getting fed up with waiting for them. When Sharpener managed to pull Videl's books from the locker, he shoved them at her. "What was that for?"

"Why are you going after him?" Sharpener asked quietly, knowing the answer already. He was fresh meat, someone she didn't know every damn thing about. Plus he had scored perfect on his entrance exams; no one in the history of Orange Star could do that. "If he has a child, leave him alone. We don't need to ruin that. He's been keeping it a secret for a _reason_."

"How would you know?" Erasa asked dully, wearing at his last nerve. (No puns intended)

"I overheard him in the locker room yesterday. Obviously he's calling this kid his son because he doesn't want us to know about it. We should respect that. The way he talks about him, you would realize he doesn't want this to be public. He talks highly about him, always telling me how _Goten_, that's his name, is good at baseball, and running. He's such a proud parent, you know? Don't break it for him; this is how he wants it." Sharpener didn't know how to react to Videl's next comment, but to say he tried would be an understatement.

"Why are you protecting him?" Videl asked with a hiss. It was all she said, it was all she needed to say.

"Because frankly, I would do the same thing if I still had custody of my son." Videl had forgotten about Sharpie, but there was no excuse for him to protect Gohan. Sharpie was known around school within the first week, ruining Sharpener's reputation. Gohan was fairly good at keeping secrets.

"What if we're all wrong?" Erasa asked curiously, peering at her friends, watching Gohan from across the hall. His head was hung in shame, people were laughing at him. She didn't understand why, but maybe it would make sense later. "What if it really is his brother? Maybe his dad is on business somewhere. I recall him saying at one time that his dad was far away; he'd been gone for a long time. Maybe his dad left. Think about it, Goten is like…four, right? And Gohan is eighteen…so how could it be his kid? Gohan would have been fourteen—"

"—which isn't impossible." Videl growled, cutting off the blonde. "Erasa, maybe it's not what you think it is. How do you know he isn't just saying it's his brother to make us all feel better about it; like it's actually socially acceptable or something?"

"Because you have to look at it this way," Sharpener muttered beside Videl. "Who would sleep with him and then abandon the child? I've met the woman you think is his wife…she's beyond too old for him. I mean, she's like a billion and he's like…ten. The age difference is dramatic, and he doesn't strike me as a grave robber."

"You don't know what he does when he's not in school. And besides, it's always the quiet ones you have to look out for," Videl answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Have you seen how he walks around school like he owns the place? He can't just come in here and pretend to be cool – I have to know if it's his kid."

"Why? You want to extort him, but for what reason? Videl, you can't ruin people's lives just to make your own seem better. He's a nice kid, for the most part, don't try and change that." Erasa muttered, turning her back to Videl so she could watch Gohan meander through the halls.

"You're only saying that because you like him," Sharpener announced, glaring at the bubbly blonde. "You like all the new kids; but I agree, I'm on Era's side. What you're doing is wrong, Videl."

"Wrong or not, I really don't need anyone's permission to do what I'm going to do anyway." Videl turned on her heel, walking into the locker room. What nerve they had to tell her that the man she was interested in wasn't who she thought? There's no reason that the kid can't be his. But Erasa and Sharpener were right; the age difference was rather dramatic. Was it possible that it wasn't true? Videl crammed her books into the locker in the gym before changing into her physical education shorts and tee shirt. She would get to the bottom of it; even if it took her another year to do it.

Brushing her long locks into a pony tail, she smiled into the mirror, then turned a few times to check her reflection. Not bad. She smiled again, then grabbed her shoes and ran outside to the baseball field. She was stuck in baseball with Gohan, the only other class they had together other than creative writing. She slithered her way across the field before finally stopping next to where he sat on the bleachers. "So your brother is cute."

"You met him?" Gohan asked, curiously looking up at her. His aqua eyes seemed so much more deeper than she remembered. Maybe they were the kind to change in sunlight. "He's a great kid, but he has a lot to learn about people. Can't trust everyone, you know? The guy next to you could be a murderer and you'd never even know it." Gohan murmured watching the game from he perch on the wooden sanctuary.

"I heard you got a job over at Angela's parent's place. What's that like?" She asked curiously, nudging him slightly in the ribs.

"I haven't started yet, but I hope I do soon. We need the money badly." Gohan didn't specify why, but Videl had a feeling it was because of the fact that he was a single parent. Maybe the mother died! That was a thought that hadn't occurred to her at first. She gasped a bit, then looked at the wooden bleachers in front of her.

"Gohan, do you have any idea what people say about you?"

"Yes. And I don't really mind. If it's true, why would I fight back?" He had a point, if the rumors were true, they weren't really rumors. He couldn't deny what was fact. But why would he be so secretive about his son then?

"So you do have a son?" Videl asked, brushing her bangs back in the wind. The rumors were true, and dispelled just like that? How could he keep it a secret for so long?

"No. I thought you meant the one about me wearing bear boxers. That one is true. I don't have a kid." He looked at Videl, his eyes boring into her soul, almost like he was ripping it out of her. He looked so upset, so distant in that moment, she didn't know what to think. "I'll be honest with you. I trust you. I don't have any idea where these rumors started, but they aren't true."

"Sharpener says you're hiding it because you want to be normal." Videl knew he was talking about the same thing, he had to be!

"Normal is a relative term, when you're an outcast, there is no sense of normal. Just because I have a different lifestyle doesn't mean I'm gay."

Where had that one come from? "They say you're gay? I haven't heard that one yet." Though she knew within the hour, it would be on Lynn Chambers' blog. It always was that way.

"No; I'm not gay. See, this is why I don't try to fight rumors, people always twist my words around to use them against me. It's like the court. They can't legally do it, but they do anyway. You know 'anything you say can, and will, be used against you in a court of law'? That's how I feel, like I'm in the middle of Judge Judy's court room every day. All because people have to make up rumors about the new kid to make themselves more justified in the fact that they're old news."

Videl was shocked at his statement. "That's how you feel?" Her blue eyes gazed out into the field, where he stared at no one in particular. It was the spot she was usually in, she could tell that by the plate that was no longer baring her foot to stop people from stealing bases. She smiled at him and gently hugged him. "Don t worry. Even if the world is falling down around you, you'll always be able to count on me to help you."

He wondered how true that would be; her helping him when the world falls down. If only she knew what he was capable of. The likely hood if her helping him was almost stellar against it. She was so weak on the level he was. She was around the same strength as Krillen, but even that wasn't strong anymore. He could feel his phone vibrating on the bench beside him, so he looked at the number, then flipped it open. "Gohan." He paused, listening to the girl on the other end. The housekeeper for the Briefs' residence. "He's sick? Alright. I'll be right over; tell him that mommy will be home later to take care of him." When he hung up he flagged down the coach. "Coach, my brother is sick. I have to go home and pick him up."

"Still saying he's your brother? Whatever, Son, go get him. And don't come back until you're ready to participate in class!" The coach shouted at his retreating back. Damn kids would be the death of him. "Alright everyone, back to your places; the crisis has been averted, overcome."

"See what I mean? Maybe it is his brother." Erasa said, sitting beside her friend on the wooden benches.

"But he said 'mommy will be home later'...could that mean he's married or has a girlfriend?" Videl asked with a slight frown. She was confused by all of this. How could she ask something so personal? He'd never forgive her.

"Why not go find out yourself? Sharpener found his address, he lives up in Mount Pauz." Erasa murmured with a small smile. Videl would _not _pass up an opportunity like that.

"You mean it? It's the real address? It's going to be hard to get there by foot, I'll have to use the copter. You know how much I love you right now, Erasa?"

"I know. Trust me, I know. Now go find out if that hunky hottie friend of yours is taken, dammit! Stop asking us questions we don't know the answers to!" the bubbly blonde shouted as Videl began to run from the field. Too bad Erasa didn't tell her the address was wrong. The one they found listed a Son Chichi at the residence, as well as a Son Goku, but no children. Oh well, if she wanted to risk it, let her.


	4. Open Minded, Level headed

**Just Like Daddy**  
_Open Minded; Level Headed_

"Some things never cease to amaze me," Gohan murmured, standing beside his brother's bed with his arms crossed. The older boy had managed to wrestle the younger into bed, as well as take his medicine. To say this was a good day would be the understatement of the year. Goten really wasn't getting any better, his fever got worse. Gohan knew the signs; human disease could be fatal to their race, if he didn't get him treated soon…the thought never got finished. Brushing back some of his little brother's hair, he smiled a little and turned off the light so the room was dark; just how he liked it. "I'll check on you in an hour. Get better, okay?"

His feet dragged him through the halls, but it didn't feel like he was getting anywhere. He was going to all the same places he knew, like a blind person trying to navigate through a new area, he felt lost. His little brother hadn't even had the chance to meet their father yet, if anything happened, he was sure Goten would see him later, but would they know each other? _Would they? _He asked himself quietly when he found himself in the kitchen. He'd gravitated over toward the sink, but he didn't feel like eating, he was much too worried about his brother's health. "I wonder why mom didn't pick him up…"

Gohan began to run some hot water into the sink so he could do the dishes. They needed to get done, and his mother would be too stressed. There was no reason he couldn't do it. He had to fill his mother in on his plan yet; he'd denied everything at school because he wanted to "save face". He wanted people at school to believe Goten was his brother; Videl would find out on her own. He already knew she was on her way – the demi-Saiyan wasn't completely out of his league, he'd asked his mother to release their address on purpose.

When he'd finished the dishes, he decided to go into Goten's room and check on him. The younger child was awake again, coughing up a storm. He knew that wasn't a good sign, he knew he'd have to do something soon. The money just wasn't there to do anything just yet – maybe they could get a personal favor from their favorite guardian? He sat on the edge of the bed, looking over to Goten. "This sure is a drag. The one day I'm off of school, you're sick."

Goten wasn't aware that his brother had left school for his sake. He didn't know a lot of things were going on, so to him it was all news. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, this happens sometimes." He brushed his hand over Goten's forehead, feeling for a fever that was inevitable. "Maybe it's time I explain to you why you're so sick."

"There's a reason?" Goten asked, sitting up higher. His little eyes stared curiously into Gohan's, waiting for the answer. "So there's a cure?"

Gohan chuckled slightly at his optimism, he felt bad doing it. "Goten, if I tell you the truth you have to promise me it will stay between us."

He nodded eagerly, climbing closer to his brother. "Tell me!"

"We belong to a special race of people known as the Saiyajin's. In a sense, you could say we aren't human. We were bred as elite fighters in the galaxy, so it was our job to get things done. When earth was meant to be destroyed many years ago…" Gohan remembered _Uncle _Raditz kidnapping him and memories that he had tried to ignore came flooding back to him. So many things had changed him over the years. "I was very strong, dad realized this when I was young, after I was kidnapped and trapped." He couldn't tell his brother the real details. He'd never be able to. "I started training young, mom hated it. If we don't start young, we never learn. Anyway, our race wasn't meant to live on earth; we were meant to destroy it. Human diseases are fatal to us because of our genetic makeup, you've probably got a cold that human's get, but for you, it's like pneumonia."

Goten stared at him in awe. Vegeta was the only strong person he knew, it seemed real, but kids could believe anything they heard if they wanted to. "Prove it!"

He'd expected that. Leave it to his brother to deny his alien lineage. Holding out his two hands, cupped in front of him, he focused his energy so a chi ball appeared on his palms. It glowed with a life he'd never noticed, dancing with energy he didn't have. "This is only one of our talents. Did you ever notice we can hear far away, where most people can't? Or the fact that moving heavy things is no problem to us? It's in our DNA."

"Does Trunks know?" Goten asked, wanting to protect his best friend from the horrible secret that would probably be found out later.

"Trunks is one as well. Our Dad and Vegeta were the only two Saiyans to live on earth. Vegeta met Bulma and married her, but from what I recall, dad was here first. Vegeta was sent to kill dad and destroy earth, but there was a human woman that changed his mind." He knew the story was wrong; he didn't want his brother to know all the gory details.

"That's kind of…" Goten fell quiet, contemplating the whole thing in his head. It still didn't explain where his father had gone. Did he die? Goten looked up at his brother, his words cutting through him like a knife. "So where's daddy? Didn't he care about us?"

Gohan's eyes widened slightly at the words he spoke so casually. He understood his brother's question – he hadn't gotten to know their father. Having grown up with the man, Gohan knew what to expect, it was nearly second nature. "He cared a great deal, Goten. More than you may ever know." Gohan smiled a bit. "He sacrificed himself in order to save us…all of us, not just our family, but the whole planet."

"So daddy's dead, and he's _not _coming back to meet me? What kind of father is that?!" Goten shouted, his words cracking under the pressure of upcoming tears. "He hated me! I knew he would! He died because of me!"

Gohan stilled, not bothering to comfort his brother. "Goten…" Quietly, the boy looked away, wondering how to explain this. "He died because of me. I wasn't strong enough to finish the game…so dad did the work for me…it's not your fault, it's mine. But…" He reached over to bring his brother into a tight hug, feeling Goten turn into his shoulder. "He'll be back. He has this odd knack of showing up when you don't expect him to. Mom said she saw him the other day while she was doing the dishes. He was outside playing with you while you were on the swings."

"So he's a…ghost?" Goten's eyes got to the size of saucers, debating the validity of his brother's spoken words.

"Of sorts; dad is what's known as a 'savior'. He's saved earth on several occasions, so he's got a lot of pull with the people upstairs. He may not be noticeable by you, because you've never met him…but we see him. I'm willing to bet that he's talked to you on occasion, too."

"There was someone talking to me while I was sleeping…he said: 'Don't feel bad, you'll get better. Let your brother help you, you'll be fine. I love you'…I thought it was you until he said 'brother'." Goten's little hands clutched the blanket, his knuckles turning white. "I don't want to play anymore, Gohan. I want to know what I can do."

"You can get better, for starters. We'll talk about training you later, for now you need to focus on your health. Second…do you remember last night, when I told you to call me daddy? There's a girl at school that's convinced I'm your dad…I want to play a joke on her, so can you still call me daddy?" Goten had yet to do it, but he knew his brother would be up for the joke.

"Oh yeah! I'll do it, don't worry. What about mom? Is she going to play, too?" The little boy asked, gazing up at his older brother.

"After I talk to her, she'll be in on it. I know mom likes a good joke, too." Too bad it wasn't a joke.

* * *

Videl capsulated her jet in the woods somewhere, making sure to be far away from the house in question. Her footsteps were silent, like that of a killer. It didn't take her long to find the only house in the vicinity. It looked cozy; she wondered who did the decorating. "So you live here alone? That changes everything."

"What do you mean?" Stepping out of the trees beside her, Gohan smirked when she jumped out of her skin. His green eyes gazed into her azure ones and held for all of three seconds. She backhanded him in the last two. "That wasn't very nice!" Nursing his swelling cheek, he couldn't help but smile at the strength she had. "You're hitting me for sneaking up on you, but you're stalking my house!"

"You should never sneak up on a fighter. We'll take you out in ten seconds flat. I'd only take two hits; me hitting you, and you hitting the floor." Videl seemed so sure of herself. If it weren't for the fact that he was trying to be normal, he'd have showed her already just how weak she really was.

He sighed and shifted on his feet, walking himself toward the house. "Might as well come in, you're already here…guess I can't get rid of you now." She reluctantly followed behind him, at a slower pace, observing the details. There was a woman's touch, which was certain. "I live with my mom." He muttered in answer to the unspoken question. He noticed her stop to admire a picture on the wall. It was his father holding him on his shoulder, the famous Son grin, and holding a peace sign for all to admire.

"Your dad was at the Cell games." Videl turned on her heel, staring at him with wide eyes, her hues a vibrant shade of blue. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not something I want the world to know. Just like my son, I don't want the whole world to know about him. He's my secret, and this is ours, okay? If you tell anyone, I promise I will come find you. You've seen what my dad is capable of." He spoke softly, almost as if the threat wasn't posed as he walked into the kitchen to get some tea.

"That means that you're one of _them_." Videl sneered.

"Way to be a good house guest; don't say it with such contempt…we saved you guys." He set the glasses on the table, cursing himself for not hiding the pictures before she got there. "Sharpener told me you were here because you wanted to know everything there was about me. If I tell you, you can't blackmail me."

He did have a point; she couldn't blackmail him into telling her if he already told her. "You're an alien."

"Stop saying it like that. I look just like you." He closed his eyes, growling slightly under his breath. "This is why I don't want people to know. They treat me like I'm some kind of museum artifact. I'm not a bug, I can't be studied. I'm just as human as you are."

"Your mother…is she one of them?"

"She's human; full human." He calmed slightly, awaiting the next question. "Ask me anything you want to know – you already found out my darkest secret." Trusting her was going to be hard, she hadn't proven herself, but he had a feeling that told him that it was okay. After seeing her punch Angela for trying to tell everyone about Goten, he knew there was some hope for Videl. "You're not here to spread rumors," He tilted his head to the side, observing her casually from across the table. "You're here for answers."

"I just want to know." The blue eyed girl across from him reached over for a cup and the kettle of hot water. "Your girlfriend, does she know about you?"

"No girlfriend." He answered without thought. She looked shocked by that knowledge. "What, you were expecting me to be hiding a marriage, too?"

"No…I was just wondering why no one decided to snag you, yet. You're an amazing guy…I see now why Angela was all over you." Videl had no reason to hide anymore, either. Most of her day was common knowledge, living her life in the public eye. When she heard him say it was okay to ask questions, she felt a compelling urge not to ask him what came next. "Where is your father?"

The simple reply was not one she had expected. There was a change in his eyes, a flicker of something she hadn't seen before. "Dead,"

The words came so easy to him that it almost startled her at first. He knew something. "Do you blame my father?"

"I blame your father for a lot of things. I hate him for who he is, and what he's done…the lives he's risked by being a public icon. The danger he puts people in just to get spotlight. I hate him for being pretentious…not for taking credit for my dad's work." He was the first to admit that when Hurcule stepped into the ring, he thought for sure he was a Saiyan as well, but that wasn't the case. He was just a boy full of hot air.

"I can understand that. I didn't want to be a fighter; I had to be one. I got kidnapped when I was eight; my mom was there with me. She…" She never finished her thought.

"She died, too."

"Yes. She died when three guys tried to _break her in_, they called it. I was lucky to escape by sheer force of will, she wasn't so…lucky." Videl shed a single tear, remembering her mother's death so vividly in her head. She'd never told anyone, it was always a secret she had that tormented her. She imagined it was almost equal to the one he had about being an ali-saiyan.

"Gohan I-"

"Videl, I-"

Both teenagers spoke at the same time, neither of them got to finish their sentence. Goten began shouting something incoherent for his brother. Gohan didn't waste time getting into the room. "Goten, what's wrong?"

"Hurts." Goten whimpered, his eyes trying to focus. His brother looked so similar to his father, he couldn't help himself. Even if he'd never met him, he'd seen pictures all over the place. "Papa, it hurts."

"It's okay. We're going to take you to the hospital, okay? You'll be fine." Cradling his brother close to him, he prayed he wouldn't be meeting his father first. Kissing his forehead slightly, he looked up at Videl pleadingly.

"I'll take you guys. Come with me."

* * *

"So human diseases hurt you ten times more?" Videl asked, her eyes focused on the tiles in front of her. She knew the question was odd, but it didn't seem so much anymore, not now that she knew what he was. He wasn't hiding because he hated attention; he was hiding because he feared his brother's safety.

"Yes. A cold for us is pneumonia to you." His answer was so plain, simple; she was almost taken off guard by it. "That's why it's important for us to not get sick…but Goten is also one-half human, so it's very possible that he caught it in his human DNA, and his Saiyan DNA is trying to ward it off." He'd slipped, but luckily she wasn't paying attention. Goten would have been one quarter Saiyan if he was his son, but she'd never noticed.

Reaching over to grab his hand, she caressed it gently, smiling softly. "He'll be alright. If he's anything like you, he'll fight it off."

"Thank you for being here," The older teen's eyes were downcast, listening to words around him. No one spoke of anything he wanted to hear, but Videl's words stuck him hard.

"He'll be okay, because there's an angel watching over him."

"How can you be so sure?" Gohan asked, watching doctors run by with crash-carts.

"Nothing bad can ever happen to a sweet person like you." She wasn't aware of how badly he needed to hear those words, especially from her. "This doctor is the best in his field. He's worked with some pretty unusual cases, so this shouldn't be too bizarre for him."

"Are you sure he won't blab about Goten's genetics?"

"I paid him pretty well, I said that if he finds anything 'noteworthy' or 'media-worthy', that I'd pay him extra." Videl smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you." He noticed the doctor before she did. He looked like he was okay, impassive. How could he judge what to expect if he couldn't see him? "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes. He'll need to rest, along with some TLC, and he'll be as good as new."

Gohan decided at that very moment what would be done. He was going to take time out of school to take care of his brother. "Thank you, Doctor Sine."

"It's not a problem," the man winked at Videl as he walked away.

Videl turned to him, casually glancing at his shoulder. "Are you going to stay home to take care of him?"

"Of course; you should go home. I don't think you want to be here any longer than you have been."

Videl smiled, her eyes dancing with a danger he'd never seen before. Was she planning to blackmail him? "I'll stay with you, no arguments. I'll come up tomorrow around noon." She paused her thought, looking to the floor shyly. "Can I ask you something, Gohan?"

"Of course, you can ask me anything."

"Did you know those rumors were about you?" She asked, waiting for him to answer. He was being slow about it, deliberate.

"I knew. I just didn't want people in school to know. That's no better, but I figured if they believed he was my brother, maybe they'd leave me alone. Guess that theory wasn't going to work out anyway. You should be a reporter."

"Nice job changing to the topic," Videl snickered, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

_Dende, what just happened? I just got kissed by a girl I never thought I'd get!_ The words rattled around for a while before he succumbed to sleep, figuring he'd work out this equation in the morning.

* * *

AN: Sorry it took so long. I really like this chapter. Hope I cleared up some of the confusion.


	5. The Secret Agenda

**Just Like Daddy  
**_The Secret Agenda_

"Am I the only one who noticed that Videl hasn't been in school in nearly four days?" Sharpener asked, leaning against his locker. He was watching Erasa struggling with her books before finally reaching over and helping her to carry them. "I mean, I know she has the whole _save the world _gig, but this just isn't like her. Even she doesn't miss a whole week of school."

"It is a little strange, but maybe she got sick. She's only human; people get sick all the time. Maybe she just has the flu or something." Erasa tried desperately to ignore the fact that the last time they had seen her she was chasing after that nerdy kid. Maybe she killed him and she was in hiding? "You know, the last time we heard from her, she was running off to find Gohan. Maybe something happened?"

"Well, I know the perfect way to find out." Sharpener murmured, stepping around her so he could continue down the hall. "We'll take their homework to them."

"What a wonderful idea!" Erasa chimed, following him down the hall. She turned into the office and waited for one of the secretaries to finish on the phone. When the woman looked up, Erasa smiled softly. "We're here to pick up Videl Satan and Gohan Son's homework."

"Alright," The secretary typed in a few keys and handed a printed out sheet to Erasa. "This is both of their schedules. You'll have to speak with individual teachers about the homework assignments, we don't keep them here."

She nodded and smiled again. "Thank you, I'll make sure they get their homework."

"Do you know why they're both absent? It's not like either of them. Both of them are top in their class, why would they skip school?" The secretary inquired.

"Maybe they're sick." Erasa offered with a lazy shrug.

She ran out the doorway and held up the papers for Sharpener to see. "Look! I got them, let's go get their work. Do you want to start with Videl's schedule first?"

"I was thinking the opposite. I always wondered what this kid does. I know he doesn't have every class with us, there are two of them where he's in a different room." Sharpener scanned the list and pointed to a random room number. "305…that's Mr. Harvard, isn't it?"

"I heard that Mr. Harvard teaches Genetic Engineering…that doesn't really seem like something practical to me." She blinked a few times and looked up at her cohort. "I think the class is an elective, and you have to be like, a super nerd to get into the class. What's the other class?"

"Introduction to Physics," Sharpener read carefully. "Maybe he wants to be a scientist."

"Don't you usually take these classes in college?" Erasa inquired, looking at Videl's dull list. "I've heard of people starting young, but this is absurd."

"Most kids who want to be scholars start out early. Since the classes are offered here, they give people who score high enough the choice to take them. If they choose to take them, they start early. If they don't, then they don't generally get into the college of their choice. It's some stupid hierarchy thing. But he scored top of his class, I don't see how he could possibly not get into the college of his choice." Sharpener answered dubiously. He looked over at Erasa for a fleeting moment, and then knocked on the door to Mr. Harvard's room. It was during lunch time, so he'd likely be working on grading papers.

"Can I help you?" The man was tall and lanky; he had disheveled blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. Something Erasa wasn't exactly expecting. Though his thick framed glasses gave the illusion of him being a dork, she could tell he was quite handsome underneath.

"We're here to pick up Gohan Son's homework from the last four days." Sharpener responded for Erasa. "He's had a family emergency come up, so he hasn't been able to make it to class."

"Ah, he called and told me all about it. Come in, I'll get his work ready for him. Are you two friends of his?" The instructor asked, watching the two fidget slightly. Evidently they weren't into this type of crowd. He could tell by looking at the boy that they weren't interested in learning.

"You could say that. We're more friends of Videl's," Erasa murmured quietly.

"Videl? She's absent, too? That's strange. He didn't say anything about that." Pages rustled while he went through them, digging in folders, thumping books on the table. He'd written down the assignments, he just didn't take the time to put them where he could find them. "It must be pretty bad for the two top students to be out at the same time."

"That's what we thought, too. Videl doesn't usually miss class, for her to be absent is something new. I mean, I know she misses class now and then because of her obligations, but a whole week?" Sharpener whispered, waiting for the man to produce the homework. "Videl didn't even say anything to us. She said she was going to see Gohan for tutoring, we haven't heard from her since."

"His brother was severely ill. He asked me if I could help him study the disease so his brother would get better. I don't know much about what he spoke of, so I couldn't help him much." He responded nonchalantly, as if it were an everyday occurrence. "I know he doesn't get sick often. I've noticed he hasn't missed a day since he started. It must be pretty bad for him to be absent. As for Videl, she seems more like the type to stay in class when she is sick. I only had her in class for a week, but she's awfully feisty."

Erasa and Sharpener exchanged glances, curious about this new fact. "She was in your class?" Both of them asked at the same time, shock written on their features.

"She took the class briefly; she was also interested in some type of disease. Something about wanting to find out if her mother was really dead or not…I don't know for sure, her excuse for dropping the class was sudden, almost like she forgot what she was doing here in the first place. I wonder if she ever found her answers." He stacked some books neatly onto the desk. "Here's the homework from the last two days, tell him that the assignments are listed on the book's cover. He'll also need his notebook – I'd like a full account of what he read in chapter twelve."

"Alright," Erasa blinked. "That sounds a little strict, don't you think?"

"Sometimes I forget who the teacher is. He's a rather smart person; his cliff-notes astound me. Though he'll tell me what he learned in the chapter, he has a habit of writing his own notes and thoughts in the margin. I always learn something new from his outlook on things." Mr. Harvard answered, watching the two with a smile. "I hope you find the answers you're looking for."

"Thank you," Sharpener called, closing the door behind him. "That was strange. I never knew Videl took such advanced classes…and Gohan, his brother? What was he talking about?"

"I'm not sure, but let's hit his last class. We can get Videl's homework when we're done since the rest of them are the same." Erasa murmured, carrying the books close to her chest. She wasn't sure why, but she was starting to wonder if Gohan was completely honest in what he did.

* * *

Videl sat on the edge of Goten's bed, watching the child sleeping peacefully. She couldn't imagine how lucky Gohan felt to have a son of his own. The boy was fairly old; he understood most things, which shocked her for someone of his age. She smiled softly and pulled the covers over his shoulders, closing the curtains just a bit so the light wouldn't bother him if he woke up. She knew he had to be cold, she was cold, and it didn't seem likely that it was just her imagination. The door opened, startling her from her thoughts. "Did you get everything you needed?" She inquired when Gohan set the bottle of deep purple liquid on the nightstand.

"I'm surprised they still carry this stuff. He goes through it pretty quick, so being able to get three or so was a good deal." He smiled up at her quietly. "I take it he slept the whole time I was gone?"

"Yeah, he's a deep sleeper. I would have woken when the door opened, to be honest. I guess he's like you in that respect, huh?" She asked, looking over at him while he poured some of the liquid into a little plastic cup for precise measuring purposes. "What happened to his mother?"

Gohan froze, looking up at the wall, ignoring the fact that she was staring at his back. "She's not around very often. So I kind of adopted the role of mother and father to him. I mean, I take care of him, so that makes me both, right? She's busy with work, so she's not able to see him." It was true, Chichi had begun working to help make ends meet, and she was too proud and stubborn for her dad's help. She wasn't around as often as she hoped to be.

"I'm sorry. But at least she's not dead." Videl caught the quick tense in his shoulders at her comment. She wondered if she'd gone too far this time. When she saw him drop the closed bottle, she blinked and knelt beside him to grab it. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"This whole thing has been a lie, Videl." He looked away, his green eyes staring at the oblivion that was. How could he tell her he lied like that after she'd put her trust in him?

"What do you mean by _this whole thing_?" Her bright blue eyes widened significantly when the thought crossed her mind. "You mean you're not really an…"

"I'm an _alien_," Gohan grit his teeth, muttering the last word with malice. The word should never be used in a sentence, in his opinion. "Goten is my little brother."

"Why did you lie to me?" Videl whispered, desperately trying to fight the oncoming tears.

"Because if you had known the truth you wouldn't have wanted to talk to me. Face it, you only decided to talk to me because you thought Goten was my son. And when you believed that, you were prepared for whatever would come, because you wanted to fit into a family somewhere. You didn't care about what happened, or what was real, you just wanted to be accepted. What you didn't know is that I've accepted you from the start." His hands gripped at his jeans, prepared for her to yell and scream at him.

"You saw through me that easily?" Videl's whispered words shocked him. He wasn't prepared for her to take it so calmly.

"I saw through you because I _am _you. I lived in solitude for a great deal of my life. I always assumed no one cared, then I got to school and people heard that stupid rumor. Suddenly people started caring about me. It was a feeling I enjoyed, people talking about me. You're the same way. You like when people talk about you, but in your case, you like when people say positive things about _you _and not your _father_." He paused, gently taking the bottle from her hands and putting it back on the nightstand. "It must be hard living in his shadow."

"How long did you plan on going on with this little charade?"

"Not long. I assumed you would have noticed on Monday when we were at the hospital. I had slipped and said that he was one-half Saiyan, but if he were my son, he'd be one-quarter." He smiled softly, standing to look down at her. "You're very intuitive; I would have thought you would figure me out by now. All of it was just a trick to get you to see me…and I regret doing it…but you're here now, aren't you? And you can see me…as a normal person, for who I am."

"I won't tell anyone," She whispered, holding her knuckle to her lip. The girl looked frail in the glow of the afternoon son. He almost felt sorry for her. Her father was famous for all the wrong reasons; he probably never even spent time with her. "I promise I won't tell a soul if you don't tell anyone my secret."

"You're safe. I'm not vindictive." He looked back at Goten and sighed. "Besides, at the moment we're united in a common goal. We both want to see him get better."

Brushing back her long black hair, Videl nodded slightly. "He will get better. He's like you, right?" Pausing to think about her words, she carefully worded the next question. "Why aren't you sick?"

"When I was little I spent several years in the woods learning how to live on my own. The real reason was much more extreme than that, so this is the Disney version of the story. I got sick many times over the years, and I didn't have medicine to help me get better, or to help alleviate the symptoms. It was hard, but I learned to live with it. I guess after time I grew immune to most of the common illnesses."

She gently put her hand on his shoulder. "It's awesome that you can be so strong considering how shy you are at school. In a million years, I never would have suspected this was the real you." Her blue eyes closed slightly. "Would I be troubling you if I asked for some tea?"

"No, not at all. Remind me, if you remember, to wake Goten in an hour." Looking back at his brother for a final time that hour, he closed the door behind him and smiled at Videl. When he got into the kitchen, he filled the teapot with water and put it on the stove, turning to lean on the counter. "Tell me about you. What was your life like?"

"Well, after mom died, dad took up fighting. He swore he'd avenge her one day, that's why he did it. After a few years I saw him less and less, and started spending time alone more and more. I thought it would pass when he challenged the men and won, but it didn't. You know about the Cell Games…probably better than any of us do." She took a deep breath and ran her hand in circles, smoothing out invisible wrinkles in the table cloth. "After the Cell Games, he became this huge celebrity icon. I didn't even hear from him anymore. It was like I had to make an appointment just to see him. I thought if I started getting into trouble, fighting around the city, he'd notice me, but it didn't work."

"He just continued to live in his little fantasy world, didn't he?" Gohan inquired, folding his arms on his chest.

"He always lived in a fantasy world, even when he was still with my mother." Her words began to grow quiet when she spoke. "As he grew distant I began to realize the only way to make him see me was to be a better fighter…so that's what I did."

"You should have done it by choice, not by force. People forced to fight don't have a passion for it." Gohan quickly turned when the teapot whistled; it was hard on his ears. Placing it on the table, he pulled out two glasses and placed them on the table. It was mildly reminiscent of the first time she'd come to his house. "You can always tell the forced ones because they don't always know what they're doing. They just swing and hope to hit something."

"In the beginning I was like that. After a while I began to grow better than him. That's when I took up my position as a crime fighter." Her soft smile warmed his heart; he wasn't sure what to say to her.

"You have a passion for helping people that much I can see by looking at you. You like to see people do good things, to know that the world is safe." He put his elbows on the table and lay his head in his palms. "You astound me. How can you be so strong even after being abandoned by your father?"

"When you're that young, you have to learn to be strong." Sky blue eyes gazed at his green ones for a long time. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts of leaning over and kissing him. "Shouldn't you get that?"

"I'll be back in a few moments."  


* * *

"Are you sure this is the house, Erasa? Why would he live this far out in the middle of nowhere and still go to our school? This is like…a million miles from the school! It must take six hours to get there every morning!" Sharpener nearly bellowed when the blonde pulled him up the path to the doorway.

"Sh! We'll lose the element of surprise! What if they're making out or something?" Erasa asked, holding the books firmly in her grasp. "Or…you know."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, there's no way she'd fall for that kid. He's so prissy and annoying."

Erasa smacked him upside the head with a book. "You're prissy and annoying! I happen to think he's quite handsome!" She knocked on the door and stood back. "Now be nice, it isn't your house."

When the door opened, Erasa was shocked to see Gohan standing in a pair of dark jeans with a white button down shirt and no socks. She smiled and held out the books. "We brought your homework."

Gohan picked up the stack of books and looked through the folders. "This is Videl's homework."

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. She's not with you by any chance, is she?" Erasa calmly inquired, craning her neck to see behind him. He leaned against the doorjamb and handed her back the books. "If she was, why would I tell you? It's none of your business, nosy partner (1)."

"We're worried about her; she missed a week of school. It's not like her to miss a whole week. A few classes here and there, but not a whole week!" Sharpener murmured, looking between the two of them. "Look! If she's here or stops by here, make sure she gets her homework."

"Fine. Can I have my homework, too? You did say you were dropping mine off." Holding out his hands, Erasa dropped the second stack of books in his arms and turned to stomp away. "Thank you, dear." Turning around, he kicked the door shut with his foot and dropped the books on the coffee table. "Videl, apparently your friends have a secret agenda with you. Is there a reason why they're stalking you?" He paused when he didn't see her in the kitchen. Where did she go? Then it hit him. He ran down the hall to Goten's room and looked over at her, cradling him close to her body.

"He's so cold." She whispered. "He was coughing and calling for you, but you were busy so I came in instead. He's very cold."

Gohan felt for a fever and sighed. "He'll get better, his fever is no worse than before. Are you alright, Videl?"

"I'm fine." She laid Goten back in bed and pulled the covers over him. "Are you still cold?"

"A little," Goten whispered hoarsely, sitting up so he could take his medicine. This time he didn't protest, he just took it all and gave his brother a glare. "I'll get better, right?"

"Of course you will. Just keep taking your medicine and sleeping. I'll make you some soup later; I know how much you like beef and noodles. So I'll make you some, alright? Get some rest, kiddo." He turned to walk away, only slightly hearing the words _thank you, sissy._ The small smile crept across his face when he noticed that Goten had heard the conversation earlier. Ushering Videl out, he closed the door behind them.

"He's cute. Like you." Videl blinked several times and covered her mouth. "I didn't just say that, did I?"

Gohan blushed bright crimson. "Yes. You did."

"What I meant to say was…" Videl tried desperately to stay standing, but her legs felt weak. She began to waver slightly. "What I meant to say was…" When she finally fell, she landed in his waiting arms, he held her close. "You're warm."

"I'm always warm. Are you drunk?" He wondered where she could have possibly gotten liquor since they didn't keep any at the house. "Videl?" She was warm. Very warm. He felt her forehead and shook his head. "Not you, too." Kneeling down, Gohan pulled her into a bridal carry and took her down the hall to his room, laying her gently in the bed (2). "Get some rest. I'll check on you in an hour."

"Gohan!" She called to him with a smile. When he turned to look at her, she smiled a little wider. "Just make sure Goten gets better, okay?"

He nodded. "I will,"  


* * *

1. This is from a show called _Due South_…basically it means that the person is being too nosy for their own good.

2. I noticed while I was writing that in chapter 3 (Youth in Asia), I mentioned that Goten and Gohan shared a room. Later, in chapter 4 (Open Minded; Level Headed) I mentioned that they had different rooms. This wasn't intentional, it was a slip on my part.

Also note, I don't know if I made this very clear before. I'm not one of those people who work in random Japanese words or phrases. Nor do I use the Japanese style of addressing people. I don't use prefixes or suffixes on names, and I don't say "Son Gohan", so please understand that. My stories are all Americanized. XD

I know you guys have a lot of questions regarding continuity. Mostly about slips of the tongue, or why he keeps doing one thing and saying another. I don't plan my stories out before I write them, I just write. This leads me to confusion and forgetfulness, so if I do wind up making errors of that magnitude, I hope you can overlook them. They aren't part of the story, so they aren't really something to be concerned with. Chapter six is done, I'll post it next week sometime.

I want to apologize for the long wait for an update. I know this is my usual style, but I just haven't had the heart lately. I figured it was better to wait until I was in a mood than to force myself – or else we end up with _Soldier's Creed_ all over again. I do want to keep this story on task. The main reason I haven't updated in so long is because we found out my mom has not one, but three tumors. So we're a little on edge right now. I'm very terribly sorry for the long wait; I'm doing my best to get a few chapters done in a row so I can release them while you wait for me to finish one.


	6. Baby, I Like It

**After the Storm**

Videl peered out the window, watching the sunrise in the distance with a faint fascination. She ran her hand gently along the sheets, trying to remember where she was. It was chilly in the room, unless it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She lay down and softly touched the pillow she lay on, feeling faintly distracted by the thought that she wasn't in her own bed. Where was she? Rolling onto her side, she stared at the bookshelves, reading the covers and spines carefully. Her vision blurred. "I don't remember where I am," She murmured absently, standing carefully to her feet as she inspected the room. Photographs littered the walls, but her vision was too blurred to make out any figures. She rested a hand on the desk and stared at the door, willing someone to come in.

"What do you mean there's a girl in your room!" Chichi shouted from out in the hallway. A thud could be heard as the woman threw her bags into a corner. "You're only in high school! What are you _thinking!_"

"I couldn't let her go home in her condition last night," Gohan whispered, his arms folded over his chest as he leaned on the wall, his left foot propped for support. "She contracted whatever Goten had."

"My baby was sick?" Chichi inquired, staring over at him, her blue eyes thoughtful. "You took care of her because she was sick? How long has Goten been sick…?"

"Since you left for your meeting on Tuesday. I left class early, haven't been back since." He turned when he heard shuffling in the doorway of his room. Taking a few steps forward, he stared at Videl while she gathered her clothes and put them in her backpack. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I don't want to be a problem for you…certainly not your mother." Now that she remembered where she was, she could vaguely remember Gohan standing with his eyes closed as he helped her re-dress in his clothes last night. She couldn't stand without falling; a thought that bothered her to no end. "Besides…we should go back to school today." She stomped into the hallway, standing toe to toe with him. He merely smirked at her, but when her balance waivered and she fell, he caught her.

Chichi blinked and ran to the woman, placing a hand to her forehead. "Oh dear…she's got a temperature." Chichi ran into the kitchen to get the thermometer and place it in the younger woman's mouth. "Don't bite on it…and just hold still."

"Fwat are you foing?" She asked, the thermometer bobbing up and down as she spoke. "Fer fot my mum!"

"No," Chichi whispered, counting the seconds on her clock. "I'm not your mother…but I am _a _mother, and I want to take care of you. He's right, you shouldn't have gone home last night…he did the right thing by keeping you here." Taking the thermometer from the girl, she stared at the numbers. "101.3…go put her back in bed, Gohan."

He nodded and swept Videl up into a bridal carry, taking her into his room and laying her in his bed. Bringing the dark blue covers over her frail body, he smiled softly. "Don't worry, she doesn't hate you…this will all wear off after she's done taking care of you."

Videl turned her gaze away from him, where Chichi was standing in the doorway, staring at the two of them. Gohan looked at the reflection of his mother in the window. "Just…tell me why you care so much."

"Because you were the first person to see through me," He whispered quietly. "The first person to notice I was lying. Get some rest, I'll check on you in an hour."

* * *

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Gohan, but isn't that woman in there the daughter of Hurcule?" Chichi inquired over her tea. "If she is, shouldn't he be taking care of her? It is his daughter…"

"I don't think he's aware she's missing," He murmured, sipping at his own tea. When he set it down on the table again, he stared at his reflection in the glass. He hadn't slept since yesterday; one because she was in his bed and two because he wanted to make sure he could hear her crying at night. "She suffers from nightmares, mom."

"Nightmares?"

"Like I used to get. She's scared of something. It's strange because she's so tough, so…resilient…to know she has nightmares ruins that image of her. It makes me wonder what she's scared of." He tapped his glass and watched the caramel colored liquid ripple. "She knew who I was because of the Cell Games…is it possible that's what she's having nightmares about? You can figure people out better than I can…"

"Without talking to her, I wouldn't know," She reached over and took his hand, smiling softly. "You care about this girl…more than you should. Don't get hurt, okay?"

He nodded and stared at the door to his room, watching carefully for movement. "I sent Goten back to school. He's not in the infectious stage, so if he makes a kid sick or something, they'll just send him home. She caught it from him on Monday, when I was at the hospital with him…I knew I should have told her to go home…"

"You're worried about her?" Chichi smiled softly, watching him. "This isn't like Angela, is it?"

"Angela…no…she tried to blackmail me. I thought she knew who I was, but she didn't. I can't stand her…" He sighed and smiled absently. "Videl, though she tried to blackmail me, wouldn't give my secret away. I know, because she told me about herself."

"Just…don't get hurt, Gohan. I'd be very upset if she tried to hurt you." Chichi murmured, taking a glass of tea into her hands. "You work on your studies. I'll take care of her."

"Mom, you make it sound so…sinister…when you say _I'll take care of her_…Don't do that again, please." She nodded and smiled to him.

Chichi placed the tea on the nightstand and watched the younger woman sleep. She was so calm now, quiet…not nearly as feisty as before. Was this why her son fell in love with her? Chichi smiled, remembering that this was the girl that her son talked so highly of for nearly a year now…the one he wished could see him and not reject him. The older woman smiled softly, brushing her hand over Videl's forehead. Videl grabbed her hand, startling the older woman. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to wake you."

Videl dropped her hand and looked away. "Please don't ever touch me in my sleep. I'll kill you next time."

"My son used to say such haunting things as a child; too…what's hurt you so bad?" Chichi asked, sitting on Goten's bed while she stared across the small distance. "He said you spoke of the Cell Games…we know your father was there…"

"You know nothing!" Videl shrieked. "You don't know the truth!"

"I do," Chichi murmured, her voice low, quiet. "My husband died that night. Your pain is as strong as mine is. You lost your mother, but I lost my husband…"

"You…" The conversation the night before began to flood back to her. This woman wasn't lying. _My father's been gone for nearly four years now…mom still has nightmares about it…_the words haunted her mind. "I'm so sorry…"

Chichi shook her head. "No. Don't be. He did what was needed to protect my son. He knew I would lose complete hope if I lost my son." She smiled absently, tugging gently at the string in her sweater. "Gohan is a fighter…he can handle it. Under the surface, it kills him to know. Especially when he was there…and when Goten asks questions…how do you tell a four year old child that their father is never coming home?"

"My mom used to talk about something called _Dragon Balls_…she said you could make wishes with them…is that true? If it is, why don't you find them and bring him back?" Videl asked, her voice rising slightly.

"Because even if we do find them, we have to wait three years before we can use them again. That's the rule. And…he's already been brought back once before…to do it twice…?" She sighed and looked at the photograph that sat next to the bed, smiling at the memory. It was Gohan and Goku sitting in the park playing with each other. "I hate him sometimes for leaving…I know Goten will never understand…but in the same respect…he did what needed to be done. No twelve years old should be faced with that kind of horrifying fate."

"I'm sorry…I didn't remember…I guess I kind of blocked the actual event from my mind." Videl stared down at the sheets. "Even still, he manages a smile ever y morning…even knowing the horrifying circumstances of his life, he always says good morning, and he always smiles at me."

"He's a friendly person. He always has been," Chichi replied, casually looking over at her. "When he was younger, he spent most of his life by himself. He's very in tune with nature, and smarter than I could have imagined. He understands people better than I ever could…but you're the one girl he can't figure out." She smirked and brushed her hair back. "The only girl he ever needed help decoding."

"He cares too much," Videl replied. "He's going to get hurt. I'm only going to break his heart."

"And even though I made him promise not to get hurt, he's going to keep holding on until you give in. It's not like him to give up because you push him away. When he wants something, he does anything he can to get it. He only ever wanted you to understand him." Chichi whispered, moving the tea closer to the younger girl. "He told me about his little…lie. I'm sorry you got dragged into it. I've never known him to fabricate stories of that magnitude. The fact that Goten went along with it is amazing on its own merit."

"If he hadn't told me, I would have never known," Videl whispered her voice hoarse from coughing. "I would have assumed he was Goten's father. Up until now, I never questioned it."

"We don't want people to know Goku is dead…just…tell them that he was on business and hasn't come back yet. I don't want Goten to hear differently…not yet." She smiled softly at the younger girl and stood up, dusting her pants off. "You may leave when you feel ready…I know you don't like me much."

"While I don't respect you for lying…I do understand why you're doing it. I have respect for you." Videl's voice cracked slightly. "Your son is an amazing man…let's hope Goten turns out the same way."

* * *

"Gohan, guess what!" Goten shouted, running to meet his brother after school. Gohan always waited after classes for Goten, no matter what was going on. He took Goten's hand and smiled down at him, asking him what softly. "I got a kiss from Sandra Carver today!"

"A _kiss_? Oh, dear…let us not tell mom, shall we?" Gohan murmured, picking his brother up and putting him on his shoulders as he walked. "You're doing better than I ever did…I haven't even gotten a kiss from Videl yet."

"You like her?" Goten asked, looking down at his brother's shoulders. "She seems mean."

"She's hurting under the surface. She's got abandonment issues, and fears I can't even begin to fathom. Her mom died when she was younger. I know her sorrow." Gohan looked up, blinking, praying his brother didn't catch that remark.

"What do you mean, _I know her sorrow_?" Goten inquisitively asked, tugging on his brother's locks of ebony hair. "Did daddy die? Is that why he's not coming back? He hated us _that much_?"

"Goten…he didn't hate us. If anything, you should hate me. He died protecting me." Gohan murmured, finally losing patience with his brother. He'd tried lying long enough, and it hurt more than the truth. "Goten, he loved you very much, he didn't want to leave us behind. It hurts, I know it does. I know because this isn't the first time he's done this. He's left before…"

"He never cared!" Goten shouted, forcing his brother to put him down on the ground. "He never cared about us at all!"

"Goten, you don't understand the situation!" Gohan shouted. When he'd realized he shouted, he calmed slightly and knelt by his brother. "Goten, there were really bad men out to hurt us. They were going to kill mommy. If they killed mommy, you wouldn't be here. Would you have preferred that? Is that what you would have wanted? I would have missed you terribly."

"Why did these bad men want to hurt mommy?" Goten asked, peering up at Gohan with wide, teary green eyes.

"Because they didn't care who was in the way. All they wanted to do was destroy everyone. I wouldn't have even been here," He whispered absently, ruffling his brother's hair. "You always have the satisfaction of knowing that even though dad is dead…he won't stay that way…he'll be back. He always is."

"He's a zombie!" Goten shrieked, hiding behind his brother's arm.

"No. He's always back as a human. Goten, daddy's died before. This isn't the first, or the last time. We're fighters…our job is to protect Earth. Do you love mommy?" Goten gave a feeble nod and Gohan continued. "Do you like my friend Videl?" He nodded again. "Well, our job is to protect them. People like them are what make our job worth doing. No one else can do it, only us." Gohan whispered, producing a small ki ball on his fingertip. "That's why you need to remember why we do this."

"We?" Goten asked, looking up at him. "Like Trunks and Mr. Vegeta?"

"Trunks and Mr. Vegeta are the same race as us, yes." Gohan sat on a bench, dragging his brother over with him. "They help us protect earth. Along with Mr. Popo, Mr. Piccolo, and Mr. Dende."

"What about Mr. Hurcule?"

Gohan scoffed at the answer, looking back at his brother. "I don't know what he does, really. He only gets in the way and takes credit for things he didn't do. Even his own daughter can see that." He paused and smiled. "Don't tell anyone I said that…it would ruin our image."

"Why can't I do what you did with your finger?" Goten asked.

"It will take time and practice, two things I can't give you…mommy won't let me teach you. She said you're too young. She doesn't want to lose you…" Gohan ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. "We should head home soon."

Across the park, he vaguely noticed a figure looming in the distance. When she turned away, he caught a flash of red hair.

* * *

"Gohan! It's good to have you back. Where you been all week?" Sharpener asked, following the teen through the halls. "And where's Videl?"

"Videl went on vacation somewhere with her dad. I just got better. I had pneumonia." Gohan stopped by the office to drop off his class work, and then looked back at Sharpener. "If you're following me for information on Videl, you can forget it. She wasn't at my house the night you dropped off our class work."

"Funny, she said she was going there…and her dad hasn't seen her in two weeks." Sharpener commented, still following the dark haired boy's heels. "You haven't seen her at all?"

"No," Gohan froze when he heard his name in a conversation. He turned to see Angela speaking to another girl.

"_Are you sure it's his? It's not someone else's'?_"

"_I'm positive it's his,_" Came Angela's voice from the two speaking. "_I would never sleep with anyone but Gohan. This baby is without a doubt his._"

"_I don't know…you guys aren't even dating, he never even looks at you when you walk by in the halls._"

"_That's just how he is, he doesn't like talking to people in school, and it distracts him from studying._"

Gohan turned on his heel and walked away. Before he hit the locker room for gym, he collided with a taller, muscular boy. "Is it true? Is the baby yours?" The man asked.

"No. The rumors are greatly exaggerated." Gohan commented, turning to stare at the man in front of him. The behemoth of a student loomed over him, causing him to twitch slightly. "Angela's promiscuous, she doesn't know what she's talking about. We went on one date."

"One date is all it takes, Son. Don't you already have a kid? Where's his mother?" The man folded his arms and smirked, catching him in a lie.

Videl darted down the hall and smiled, throwing her arms around Gohan's neck. "Baby, Goten said he wants you to bring his teddy bear back from Bulma's house. He misses you."

"Wait…are you his son's mother?" Tall-boy inquired, raising a brow at Videl.

Videl smirked and nodded. "Gohan and I have been dating for a little over three years now. Goten is my amazingly talented little boy. You didn't know? I thought everyone did." She then turned to Gohan and smacked him across the face. "How dare you cheat on me with Angela!"

"Videl, you're going too far! I didn't sleep with her! I went on _one _date!" Gohan shouted, rubbing his sore cheek.

"_You went on a date_?" Videl froze when she noticed that tall-boy's hand was clutching at Gohan's shirt. "You might want to put him down, boy."

"Who are you calling _boy_?" The bully asked, rearing his fist back to hit her. Before he could, Gohan's hand was blocking its path, holding the bully's fist firmly in place.

"Don't touch my son's mother. I'll have to hurt you." He barred his fingers into the boy's knuckles and growled. "If you care about Angela so much, you can have her, but I swear on my son's life that I didn't sleep with her."

"How can you prove it?"

"Because, I have Videl, and I don't need another girl. She's a little ferocious in bed, but otherwise, good company." He smirked when he saw Videl blushing. "What, too much, darling?" Dropping the bully's hand, he turned to Angela, walking passed her when she came to talk to him. "I'm not talking to you," He whispered, glaring over at her. "I never slept with you, I never even kissed you…I'm not talking to you. If I don't talk to you, there are no rumors I ever slept with you."

Videl walked over to Angela and smiled. "He's mine…so back off. I've already got one with him…so I guess that means I win."

"Jeeze Louise," Sharpener murmured. "When did Gohan get so popular with the ladies?"

"When they found out he was a dad…but, there's got to be a lie somewhere. Videl was never pregnant." Erasa commented, looking to Sharpener.

"That's not true…there was a year she stopped coming, when she was 14 or so. Something about her mom? I don't know if it's true or not…" Sharpener commented, looking to Erasa. "We can find out."

"Find out how?" Erasa squeaked.

Sharpener raised a brow. "Same way we always do. By following her."

* * *

Okay, it's almost a year late, I lost my inspiration, and I'm dying trying to update everything. I was told to never rush work, because you can always tell when it's crap (coughcough anything higher than chapter 6 of Soldier's Creed coughcough). I realized after going through my older files that I had this chapter done three months ago, I just forgot about it. So, here you go. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. Whatever it may be. As always, read and review. =D


	7. Insert Witty Title

I know how author's notes are. People don't like reading them, because they usually have some lame excuse for not updating or addressing reviews. This isn't like that. First of all, if you don't read this then it's your own fault if you're waiting forever for me to reply to a review or message.

I regret to inform my readers (the ones whom have stuck with me since the beginning of this mess) that I won't be updating this anymore. I'm not saying I'm no longer writing in the Dragonball Z universe, I'm just not working on this story anymore. I won't put a "complete" tag on it because either I, or a friend, will continue it sometime in the future, just not now.

I've lost my ambition and drive to continue this story. I don't want to force results, because then we end up with a mess like Soldier's Creed, with characters introduced in every chapter, never to be seen or heard from again. The inconsistencies in this story are also bothering me. Making mention to major plot points, but never following up.

And before I start getting hateful reviews about how I don't care about my readers, please understand my reasoning. I'm twenty-one years old. Part of life is being able to realize when you need to let go of the things that are damaging you. I don't like sitting here and getting negative reviews about how I'm lazy about updating. I've been through quite a bit in this last year, and it's been difficult for me to get anything done.

I need to prioritize, and when your hobby becomes your work, things start to go badly. You lose interest in the things you used to enjoy. I used to love and look forward to updating this story. Now I dread it as time goes on, because I know that people are expecting amazing results. I can't give you amazing results anymore. I've drafted chapter (whatever I'm on) five times now, and every time it comes out horrible and un-readable.

As my readers, I'd like to give you nothing but the best from my work. And I'm going to do that one day, just not at this point in time. I don't want to make excuses for not updating anymore. Most of you have realized it's been almost a year since my last update (it was my Christmas present to you, the readers, to update on December 26th). I don't want to keep anyone waiting anymore, so this story is going to be put on indefinite hiatus until I can get my muse back.

I also want to address another issue – I may or may not return to writing these stories, I haven't decided completely yet. I'm trying to get back into college, and I'm also trying to plan my wedding. I know that my wedding is in two years, but part of a successful relationship is spending time together (much to my dismay, this isn't writing a story and them reading it). I've also got other ideas I want to work on for stories that aren't in fan fiction.

It pains me to say I'll no longer be updating, because I know it's not true. Somewhere down the line I know I'll come up with some update to this – and if not me, my dear friend James intends on taking over. I can't promise it will be the same amazing story you knew (I'm convinced my story was anything but), but James and I are collaborating on finishing this at some point.

I'm sorry to inform you of this, but the drive and once-loved ambition just isn't present in my work anymore. Trying to meet deadlines is making me feel like I'm being forced to work and this used to be nothing more than a hobby? Some of you know that when you work, it takes precedence over anything else. And since I don't get paid for this, it's hardly worth it to stay up until five am updating, and then go to work on two hours of sleep.

Anyone who would like to keep in contact with me, or read about possible further updates on the status of this story, you may message me. I've updated my homepage on my profile so that it leads to my Facebook page. You may not send me abusive messages (just know that if anyone tries to bully me into updating, I will never come back). You can also ask me any questions you may have about the story – or send me an idea – who knows, I might like your idea so much I'll update (crediting you, of course)!

If you do wish to keep in contact in this way, please make sure you message me ahead of time to say it's you (and possibly include a Fan fiction name so I can read your work!)

As always,  
Majin Videl  
Kitt Wilson


	8. Eleven Eleven

Day one of being back in school and already Gohan was unsure of himself. What if this rumor got out of hand like the last one? He listened to the students talk, laughing idly as he walked by their conversations. _Did you know that Gohan has a kid? _What could he really say? No, it's all a lie because my brother has no dad and my girlfriend is lonely? He sighed and stepped up to his locker, putting in the combination and shoving some books inside. He barely noticed Videl lean on the locker next to his.

"Hey good looking," She murmured, brushing back her hair. He absently noted that she cut it. "Like it?"

"Why did you cut your hair?" He inquired slowly, drawling out each word. "It looks different."

"Of course it does. Because I cut it." She smirked and helped him grab books from his locker. "Hey, I've been thinking about this _parent teacher _thing at Goten's school. Is it really a great idea?"

"It's his first week, we should be there for him since mom can't, and we are kind of…masquerading as his parents. Besides, it might even be fun. We can get our first crash course in being parents." He blushed and realized that he may not want to be with Videl the rest of his life. But then something his father said dawned on him – Saiyans mate for life. He knew without reasonable doubt, that Videl was the one he wanted to be with. "I bet he's excited for his first week of school, I know I was."

"You were home schooled your entire life," Videl answered, holding his book as he closed the locker. "Besides, Goten had the opportunity at a normal life, you didn't."

"Don't remind me."

It was then that he noticed something faintly familiar about her. She seemed more depressed than usual. It had only been a few weeks since Goten told them about the conference, was it possible she didn't want to go? Was she having doubts about their fake relationship? "Gohan, I've been thinking about something."

"Oh?" He asked, idly taking the books from her and holding the stack carefully. "What's that?"

"Why don't we make this official?" She asked, blushing when he stared at her with dark green eyes. "I-I mean, why don't we go out and say we're boyfriend and girlfriend? Then this pretending thing wouldn't be so absurd."

The teenager thought about it for a few minutes, then nodded. "I agree. We should give it a try."

"Cool! Come to my house, just text me when you leave."

* * *

Since it was his first time meeting Hurcule…in person, he wasn't sure what to say. Even now, as he stood nervously at the door holding a bouquet of pink roses for his daughter, the words still failed him. He tapped on the door when Isla, the maid, answered the door. "Oh, hi."

"I'm here for Videl," He commented, looking down at the flowers. "She asked me to come over for dinner."

"Ah!" She turned and screamed something in Italian up the steps, to which Videl replied 'in a minute', and hurried down a few seconds later. Isla turned away so Gohan could come in.

"That wasn't a minute," Gohan murmured, handing her the flowers with bright red cheeks. "And you look stunning."

Videl stared down at the dark blue velvet dress she'd chosen to wear. There was a scoop neck to it, and a set of dark emeralds around her neck. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the flowers." Handing them to Isla, she made her way out the door. "Come with me. I know the perfect place we can go on our date."

Videl pulled him down various streets before ending at what she claimed was the 'perfect place'. It was a small little restaurant next door to Angela's, a bistro with very elegant scroll work. "Videl, I can't afford this…" Gohan mumbled. "I don't have a job."

She shook her head with a laugh. "My dad is paying for it, come on."

Somehow he doubted her dad could afford his appetite.

"Okay," She said after swallowing her steak. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Oh, isn't that obvious?" he answered with a laugh. "I want to be a doctor. Or a scientist. Actually, more likely leaning towards the scientist."

"Okay, I can deal with that. Why?" She inquired, poking at the meat on the plate again. "Everyone has a reason for doing what they do, so what's yours? Why a scientist?"

"I just love science. And math. Well, both, really. Ever since I was little my mom told me to get a good job so I can support her. I chose scientist so I can figure out some of what makes me who I am. You know the flying and stuff." He laughed and smiled that famous Son smile. "What about you? What do you want to be?"

"Honestly?" She turned red when she asked.

"Honestly."

"I want to be a mother. Ever since I was little, my dad drilled my brain to make me believe I had to be the greatest fighter of all time. I found out that, while I may love it, it's not a good idea for my body. Eventually, if you take a hit hard enough, anything becomes impossible, even the possibility of breathing on your own. And I don't want to live my life knowing that." She chewed another piece of steak before answering him again. "Besides, fighting is overrated."

"It's something in your blood," He whispered. "My dad taught me that it's okay to be who I am, but if I'm needed to fight, I have to jump at the call." He conveniently left out the part that he's the strongest person on the planet. "Where do you want to go after this? The mall? Home?"

"Let's just walk." Tomorrow was the appointment at Goten's school. They had to get their stories straight or they'd be seen through. Somehow this elaborate lie became a mess of what they really wanted. She pulled on her jacket and ran outside leaving him to pay the bill anyway. As he walked up the counter, the woman smiled and told him it was already taken care of. He ran outside to join Videl. "Aren't the stars so pretty? I wish I could touch them."

"Maybe one day you can." He answered, stopping when she did. "It's not as much fun as you think it is."

"Gohan, do you really think we can pull off this parent thing? We're not even parents." She stared over at him. "In fact, you were missing your dad most f your life, and I lost my mom."

"But that makes us the perfect couple, because I know what it's like to have no dad, and you know what it's like to have no mom. So we see perfectly. You figured out your own problem."

"It isn't really a problem, but more of a doubt. We keep making people believe that this is our life, but it isn't. This is just the life we wish we could have." She looked at him carefully and smirked. "But I know I want to try anyway. To be your wife one day. I know that I would be very happy with you. Do you ever have a negative thought?"

Gohan shook his head. "Once I wished my dad was dead, and he died a week later. I haven't had a negative thought since."

"It's a cute quirk about you," She absently whispered. "Walk me home."

"I thought that's what we were doing now." He answered, reaching to take her hand. "I really care about you, Videl."

"I love you, too." She commented.

"But I didn't-"

"You don't have to say it." She replied, standing on her toes to kiss his lips. "I can see the way you look at me."

* * *

Seven in the morning came pretty quick. Gohan was wearing a suit and tie, similar to the one that his dad wore to his own wedding. He waited for Goten to get ready, carefully watching the clock for each passing minute. "Videl is late," He mumbled under his breath. Goten watched his brother pace. "Goten, are you ready?"

Goten nodded and held up his hands. "Ready!"

"She's still late." Gohan mumbled under his breath, pacing in circles. "Why is she late?"

The tap on his bedroom window startled him. He looked over at Videl, seeing her makeup running. She was crying. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. "Vi…? Is everything okay?"

She climbed into the window and shook her head. "No! It's not okay!"

"What happened?" He sat on the window sill so she could sit on the bed. He didn't know what to say. "This is about your dad, isn't it?"

"He told me I can't see you anymore. He said he doesn't want me worrying about _love _when I need to be worrying about taking on the family name. I don't want to carry on the family name. My last name isn't even _Satan_!" She blinked, and then gasped. "I didn't say that out loud…"

"You said that out loud." Gohan answered casually. "Videl, just stand up to him. He can't force you to fight if you don't want to. You're a tough girl, stand up to him."

"When I tried, he said he'd throw me out. I have nowhere else to go."

"Bull. You can stay here." Gohan laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "There's room. I'll sleep on the couch and you can stay in my room. Mom will understand. And Goten will be glad to have you closer so he can ask you _mommy _stuff." He looked to his brother and nodded. "Come on, we have a meeting to get to."

Goten kicked his feet back and forth sitting on the small red chair. "Daddy, I'm hungry."

"I know, Goten, we'll get food after we're done talking to your teacher…if she wasn't running late." He sighed and waited in silence for what would never come. "What's her name again? Mrs. Duvall?"

"Yeah," Goten answered scribbling on a piece of paper with a bright green crayon. Clearly he was drawing Piccolo, but it was hard to tell. "She's always late."

Finally, after twenty minutes, the woman entered the office. She looked like an older version of Angela. "Hi, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Son?"

"Yes," Gohan replied, offering his hand. That was the first time he noticed that he was missing something very vital to this gig; wedding rings. "So, if you don't mind my asking, why have you called us in here today?"

"Well, your son seems to be going through a very dark period in his life right now. He keeps drawing pictures of some green guy and what he says is his "dad", but I don't know what it has to do with anything." She paused and looked to Videl. "He's been saying that his dad dies …or, did die."

Videl paused and thought carefully. "Is this about the _I hate my daddy_ thing? We talked to him about that, but he doesn't seem to want to work on it." She frowned. "He has this odd obsession doing that lately."

"Goten is a very marvelous student, he's smarter than a lot of kids his age, but for some strange reason, he's afraid of his father dying," She looked to Gohan. "Mr. Son, do you work in a dangerous field of study?"

Gohan had to think fast. "I'm a scientist." He answered, then mentally face palmed. "I work at the Capsule Corporation." At least he knew if they called, Bulma would lie for him.

"Is it dangerous work?" Then the woman froze, realizing what exactly the C.C. entailed. "Never mind. I hope you at least get to see him often. He seems like he doesn't have many friends."

"Nonsense! He's best friends with my boss' son, Trunks. They see each other nearly every day." Gohan answered, then noticed Videl's look. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Videl growled under her breath at the term _sweetie _then looked to Goten. "Is it possible he fears that accident you had a long time ago happening again?" She didn't elaborate, but he caught the idea. "Maybe that's it."

"Probably, now that I think about it. It was nice talking to you, we'll deal with Goten."

* * *

After they got outside and stepped down the steps, Goten began to cry. "I want daddy."

"You don't even know daddy." Gohan answered, kneeling beside his brother. "I know you don't like this any more than we do, but I don't want mom getting bad looks. Besides, I know daddy loves you very much, Goten. You're his son, and he loves both of us equally, but he missed most of your life." Gohan quieted, realizing that his father missed a good lot of his life as well. "We're both in a really messed up situation, huh? Dad sure doesn't stay around much."

"What was he like?" Videl asked quietly. "Was he nice?"

"My dad? Of course. He saved every animal he ever saw…he even had mercy on all his enemies. You know he always gave them the opportunity to change their lives before he ended the tournament or fight? He tried to give everyone a chance, but sometimes that doesn't always work." Gohan turned to look at Goten, his dark green eyes full of worry. "Daddy will be back someday, I can promise you that. He would never _ever _leave you behind. He loves us too much."

Videl smiled softly, wondering how long it took him to think that up. "Would your dad like me?"

"Of course! You're a fighter, just like my mom. You have spunk and you know where your loyalties lie. He likes that in a woman." Gohan lied and kissed her cheek, lifting Goten over his shoulders. "My dad would love you."

Sharpener moved closer in the bushes and watched the couple. "Did you hear what they said?" He whispered to Erasa. The girl shook her head. "Neither did I. Damn. We should wire them."

"Just follow them." Erasa whispered back. "I think they live together now. How could she have kept this from me for so long? I deserved to know!"

"Well, you're not the only one being lied to. She's lying to Gohan, too." Sharpener answered, moving to the left to keep following.

* * *

_I updated only because I had the idea. They'll still be sporadic and random updates. I have a job working at a department store – almost 30 hours a week…so my time is pretty limited to write. I'm working on three account s now, and updating this before I go. I have about 6 more chapters until I draw this to a close. I've loved this story, it's my favorite, but I just can't keep up with it anymore._

_I'll update until it's finished, but don't expect them all one after the other._

_-M. Videl_


End file.
